On the trail of rabies cases in Kerala

The death of a 12-year-old girl in Pathanamthitta has sharpened the focus on the rising number of rabies cases and the growing population of stray dogs in Kerala. With the Supreme Court expected to pass an interim order on the issue next week, K.S. Sudhi talks to public health experts as well as petitioners to map the situation   

Twelve-year-old Abhirami, of Mannappuzha in Perinad Panchayat of Pathanamthitta, was returning home early in the morning on August 13 after collecting milk bottles from a nearby house, when a German Shepherd pounced on her. A karate champion with three titles under her belt, Abhirami bravely fought the dog and tried to escape from its clutches. By the time she succeeded in freeing herself, the dog had inflicted deep wounds on her right cheek just below the eye and on her limbs. Though she was administered three doses of the anti-rabies vaccine, on September 5 she succumbed to the deadly virus while undergoing treatment at the Government Medical College, Kottayam.

“She might have been destined to live up to the age of 12. Had she received proper primary care at the hospital where she was initially admitted, she would have survived. Nothing can fill the void caused by her death,” says Abhirami’s mother, Rajani Hareesh, her calm demeanour cloaking the grief that has engulfed her.

Abhiraj, one of her classmates, had rushed to the scene upon hearing her wailing, and miraculously escaped unhurt. “No one could save her from the animal as all were helpless and scared of going near it. Eventually, she succeeded in freeing herself from the beast by pushing it away with her legs,” recalls Rajani. 

The tragic death of the young girl drew a wave of protests across Kerala, forcing the State government to constitute a high-level committee to look into issues related to stray dogs. Till the third week of September, 21 rabies deaths have been reported from the State this year. Reports of stray dogs attacking pedestrians as well as motorists pour in regularly from different parts of the State.

According to data available with the State Health Department, the number of dog bite cases reported in the State has been going up considerably — from over 60,000 in 2013 to 1.37 lakh in 2016; and while around 2.2 lakh cases were reported in 2021, this year, the figure had already crossed 2 lakh by August.

The canine population in Kerala has gone up significantly since the 19th Livestock Census held in 2012. The number of dogs has been estimated at 11.2 lakh during the 20th Livestock Census, 2019, against 7.88 lakh a decade ago. The latest census has put the stray dog population at 2.89 lakh. The 8.36 lakh pet dogs too add to the State’s canine population, according to the latest headcount.

While the highest number of street dogs were reported from Kollam (50,869), the State capital, Thiruvananthapuram, accounted for the highest number of pet dogs, 1.25 lakh, according to the data generated during the 20th Livestock Census, which was made available by the Directorate of Animal Husbandry (DAH), Kerala.